Three clam chowders go classic  and decidedly new wave

Clam chowder may be a Colonial-era tradition — the first references to “chouder” date back to 1732 -- but the seafood stew has infinite flavor possibilities, and it’s amazing to see how some modern chefs have reinterpreted the classic.

Clam chowder remains popular at dockside dives and swanky restaurants alike, straddling the line between down-home and upscale, whether it’s filling a sourdough bread round on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf or nestled in bowls at a retro boutique hotel near the Santa Cruz boardwalk.

Creamy Boston- or New England-style chowder isn’t the only one making waves, but it’s easily the most popular, says Drosenos, executive chef at Aquarius, the restaurant at the Santa Cruz Dream Inn, which took second place at last year’s Clam Chowder Festival.

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Classic chowder

There’s more to a chowder than clams and cream, of course — there’s the bacon or salt pork, fresh herbs and, in the case of Aquarius, Madeira wine — but it’s important that those clams be top-notch, Drosenos says, not some “cheap processed clam that’s chewy and gritty.”

Good cream is important, too.

“If you’re using a low-fat cream, it doesn’t have the texture, the coating on your tongue that you’re looking for,” he says. “We make ours with a little roux to help thicken it, and you’re adding butter into it, so of course it’s going to be better.”

Some people use cornstarch -- or generous handfuls of oyster crackers -- as a thickening agent. Others, such as Chuck Williams and Kristine Kidd, co-authors of “Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home” (Weldon Owen, 2010), let the cream stand on its own.

Of course, New England is not the only player in the chowder arena. Manhattan, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Florida have their own distinctive styles. You’ll find salmon or oysters in the mix in parts of the Pacific Northwest. And San Francisco is famous for those sourdough bowls.

Drosenos is actually a Manhattan clam chowder devotee.

“I’m also a Yankees fan, so Manhattan is closer to my heart,” he says. “I’m a huge tomato fan, so anything with tomato in it. When I make it at home, I make red. But around here, everyone does New England. It sells better.”

New wave clam chowder

Diners will have three chowders to choose from when San Francisco’s Exploratorium opens in April on Pier 15. Chef Loretta Keller, who is heading the science museum’s equally cutting-edge new restaurant and cafe with her partners at the newly founded Curiosity Catering, is taking chowder to new heights. It’s partly a nod to business partner Ute Bowes, whose Ferry Plaza Seafood is famous for its Boston and Manhattan chowders.

At a sneak peek Exploratorium lunch recently, Keller served the two chowders in the same bowl, so guests could swirl them at will. It was a showstopper -- the vivid colors and flavors together created more than the sum of their parts.

“It just got me thinking about expanding the concept of clam chowder, elaborating and doing spins on it,” she says.

Keller plans on offering a series of “riffs on clam chowder” at the Seismic Joint, the museum’s soon-to-be cafe on the Embarcadero. First out of the gate: A Mexican-inspired take on chowder, with clams, avocado, farro, a touch of mole and plenty of bright, vibrant flavors -- and no cream.

“I was thinking to myself: What makes a chowder a chowder? How can I call this Mexican chowder?” Keller says. “But really, a chowder is a fish stew. That gives you license. Unlike the New England, which is relatively homogeneous, I really like the way the Mexican is more distinct -- the ingredients, textures, crunchy, soft, salty, sweet and rich.”

Making mole is a major undertaking, she admits, but it freezes beautifully. Sneaking it into a dish adds “layers of complexity and depth of flavor,” she says. “Mole is sort of like marriage. There’s no easy way to do it. You’ve got to take your time, really enjoy the process -- or don’t attempt it.”

Think of it as Manhattan clam chowder’s sexier Latin American cousin — and the first in a long line of chowder riffs.

MEXICAN CLAM CHOWDER

Serves 8-10

Note: Use a dark mole that is round and rich, but not particularly sweet or fruity, such as Diana Kennedy’s classic recipe.

3 to 4 cups water

1 cup farro (or rice or barley)

1/2 cup each water and white wine (or 1 cup water)

3 to 4 cups clam juice

3 pounds fresh clams, scrubbed

Olive oil or canola oil

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 medium yellow onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup dark mole

2 to 3 limes

Garnishes:

2 scallions, sliced

Zest of 1 lime

3 tablespoons queso fresca, crumbled

3 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried

2 small or one large avocado, diced

Cilantro sprigs

In a saucepan, bring the farro and 3 to 4 cups water to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until farro is just tender. Drain farro and set aside.

Steam the clams: Place the clams in a saucepan with the wine-water mixture, cover and bring to a boil; cook until the clam shells open, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or muslin. Measure the broth and add enough clam juice so you have 4 cups of liquid. Set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat a little olive oil. Add cilantro, onions and garlic; cook slowly over low heat until the onions are tender and translucent.

Put the chicken into a large saucepan with the garlic, onions, and mint. Add water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover pan, and cook until tender, about 35 minutes. Strain, reserving broth.

Remove stems from dried chiles. Slit them open, and remove seeds and veins, reserving seeds. Toast the chiles in a heavy-bottomed skillet for about 50 seconds on each side; if you’re using guajillos, toast them until they are almost charred, about 2 minutes. Rinse chiles in cold water, cover with hot water, and leave to soak for about 30 minutes.

Put reserved chile seeds into a dry frying pan and toast over fairly high heat, shaking them occasionally so they brown evenly. Then raise the heat and char until black. Cover with cold water; let soak for 5 minutes.

Strain the chile seeds and transfer to a blender jar. Add broiled tomatoes, unpeeled, along with the water, cloves, allspice, thyme, marjoram and oregano.

Heat some of the lard in a small frying pan. Fry sesame seeds for a few seconds, until deep golden. Strain, putting the fat back into the pan and seeds into the blender jar. Blend as smooth as possible.

Fry the rest of the ingredients, except the chiles and chocolate, one by one, strain and add to blender jar, blending after each addition and adding water or chicken broth, as necessary, to release the blades.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat ¼ cup lard. Add the mixture from the blender. Fry over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom from time to time, for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put a few of the chiles and about 2 cups of their soaking water in the blender jar; blend until smooth. Add more chiles and blend again, repeating until all the chiles have been pureed. Add them to the mixture in the big pot, along with the chocolate; cook for 5 minutes more.

Add 4 cups reserved chicken broth; cook 35 minutes more. Add more broth if necessary; the mole should just coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Note: You can use the mole in a variety of ways. Add the chicken and salt to taste; cook 10 minutes longer and serve. Or use the mole for enchiladas or as major flavoring ingredient in Loretta Keller’s Mexican-inspired clam chowder. Or freeze the mole in 1 cup containers for later use.

-- Emeril Lagasse, FoodNetwork.com

AQUARIUS CLAM CHOWDER

Serves 8-12

2 pounds canned chopped clams, juices reserved

2 to 3 cups bottled clam juice

4 bacon slices, minced

1 onion, diced

2 cups celery, diced

4 tbsps. all-purpose flour

2 to 3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

3 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons Madeira wine, or to taste

Salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Oyster crackers, for garnish

Drain the juice from the minced clams, and combine with enough bottled juice to equal 3 cups of liquid.

Cook the bacon slowly in a soup pot over medium heat until lightly crisp, about 8 minutes.

Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour; cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Whisk in the clam juice; bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more clam juice to adjust the consistency. Add the bay leaf and fresh thyme.

Add potatoes; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the clams and cream in a saucepan; simmer until clams are cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, add the clams and cream to the soup base. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Serve with oyster crackers on the side.